CH 79

Chapter 79 – Holy Blade

“So it is finished.”

The Royal Knights Order’s maneuvering grounds, where the games were being held.

In the special grandstand that had been prepared for the royal family, Lord Heidfelf, the general manager of the event, let out a sigh of relief.

There was no doubt that he had done his duty.

All five of the matches had been appropriately entertaining.

The world of nobles could be overthrown by anyone, should the right opening appear.

And so the important thing was to avoid any mishaps that could have grave consequences later.

So with that considered, these results were not a great success, but not a failure either.

For him, this was good enough result.

The commoner magician had been his only point of concern, and yet she had been defeated, just as he had hoped.

‘Everyone knows that you are no match for him. So you just need to stand there. And it will be fine.’

That was how he really felt.

The battle against the Holy Blade was a one-man show.

The commoner was not able to do anything in front of his overwhelming power, and she was crushed.

Just as he had planned.

The scenario everyone expected.

“Well, I shall return to headquarters then.”

Lord Heidfeld was about to get up to his feet.

“No…”

It was the king who had opened his mouth.

“It seems that it is not finished yet.”

At first, he did not understand the meaning of those words.

However, in the next instant, he realized one fact.

The referee had not announced the end of the battle.

(Could it be that she withstood the attack…?)

That was ridiculous.

It could not be.

He shook his head, denying that possibility.

There was no way that this child-like magician could do such a thing.

However, the knight who was acting as referee remained uncomfortably silent.

(What is happening…)

◇　　◇　　◇

While hiding in the clouds of dust, I recreated the Holy Blade’s attack in my mind.

Why hadn’t I been able to react?

Why couldn’t I see it?

‘Don’t try to solve everything at once. Splice up the problem and think. Slowly organized the parts that you know. And then you will get closer to the answer, no matter how difficult the problem is.’

Separate and organize every little piece and think of a solution.

When it comes to simple speed, I should not be inferior.

Thanks to all my hard work at my previous job, I was able to use Spell Boost. And with that, my speed was comparable even to a Magus-rank magician like Mr. Gawain.

On top of that, I had undergone special training for this fight.

When fighting with my mana halved, Luke had been faster than me.

And yet, why did it seem like he had disappeared?

I thought back on the situation.

Because there was no point that I could react to.

That was the theory that I landed on.

Probably…the reason was the windup.

The Holy Blade’s movements were fundamentally different from ordinary humans.

He had trained so that his movements would be difficult for others to react to.

An imaginable amount of repetition.

A godly attack. Polished, and without compromise.

This was a level that the current me could not deal with.

…In that case, I just have to ensure that he can’t attack in the best state.

‘Air Raid Storm.’

As the dust settled, I activated the spell.

Magic circles appeared at a rapid speed.

And then countless petal blades shot through the air.

“…”

However, the Holy Blade’s expression did not change.

In one slash, he blew away the petals and took a step toward me.

But he was slightly slowly than before.

This was because the wind blades had cut up the field that he walked on.

No matter how good a fighter you were, you could not be at your best on uneven ground.

Furthermore, I had created an invisible defensive wall of wind around him.

Two layers.

Of course, this was still not enough to stop the Holy Blade.

Acceleration beyond the norm.

Preliminary actions I can’t react to.

In a flash, the gap is closed.

A dangerous distance.

And then a flash that is at the speed of light.

The sword technique that was unleashed…but I managed to just barely dodge it.

In this world of accelerated speed.

We had prepared so many countermeasures, and yet I was still being pushed this far back.

It was hard to believe that this opponent was even human.

Still, I had been able to dodge this one attack.

I hadn’t lost.

I could hold my own.

My magic was not too weak for the Holy Blade.

I couldn’t help but smile.

I was treated as useless at the countryside magic artificer guild.

And then I was fired and had nowhere to work.

I wondered if I just lacked talent.

Back then, I had thought that I wasn’t good enough, and was depressed.

It’s fine.

It’s not impossible.

Let’s go. What I like most of all.

The magic circle I activated with much emotion was the embodiment of everything I had experienced up until now.

◇　　◇　　◇

What appeared from the smoke was a shocking sight indeed.

Numerous magic circles appear rapidly.

Lord Heidfeld was stunned.

(What is this…)

He could not understand it.

The speed was on a different level and left everything behind.

(So this is magic…)

The two shadows clashed.

The attacks and guards were too fast for the eye to follow.

However, the Holy Blade then exceeded that.

When it came to pure strength, the small magician was not losing.

But all of the Holy Blade’s movements were optimized to cut his opponent.

Diligent refining.

Repetition to the point of madness.

The precision of his movements far exceeded that of an ordinary human.

And though Lord Heidfeld was no swordsman, he could see that there was something different about the Holy Blade today.

(He must have been holding back during previous battles…)

He realized it now.

Seven hundred battles.

He had always overwhelmed his opponents, but it had all been child’s play up until now.

(How far will…)

He shuddered at the thought.

The man was like a god who had dedicated his life to the blade.

A sword incarnate.

And so no matter how fast the magician was, she should not be able to stand against him.

However, such expectations were dashed again.

What he saw was the Holy Blade, fighting seriously, and the small magician who stood her ground.

What…was happening?

His mind went blank.

And so he could just watch quietly.

He had even forgotten to breathe.